Maritime Passengership Accident Project (MAPS)

Before now, it has been widely accepted that maritime accidents were common because technology was limited. Yet even with new precision instruments, advanced safety equipment, and stricter shipping standards, major accidents still occur frequently. Human error has been believed at fault when these disasters occur and investigators that reconstruct the even t look for violations in protocol or navigational rules. The responsible parties who are often singled out are the captain and the crew.

There are two explanations for ship casualties: 1) negligent corporate risk-taking within shore-based operations and 2) system hazard. Negligent corporate risk-taking occurs when a corporation chooses to maximize their profit at the expense of safety, thus putting the passengers and crew members lives in danger and rendering the corporation criminally at fault. System hazard is a general threat posed by the interaction between elements of a system that are associated with a particular area or location.

The primary objectives of this research are to evaluate the role of shore-based operations involving negligent corporate risk-taking that affect shipboard operations and assess how hazards generated by system contributes to the magnitude of events.

Project Contact: Dr. Gisela Bichler